Veteran Spinner Amit Mishra Admits to Age Fudging

Amit Mishra Admits to Age Fudging in Candid Podcast Revelation

Veteran Indian spinner Amit Mishra, a renowned figure in the Indian Premier League (IPL), has made a startling admission regarding his age. In a candid conversation on a podcast, Mishra, who currently plays for Lucknow Super Giants, revealed that he had reduced his age by one year at the behest of his coach when he was a young player.

Mishra's revelation has sent shockwaves through the cricketing world, as it exposes a potential age fraud scandal. The spinner admitted that he was actually 22 years old when he made his debut for India in 2003, not 21 as officially recorded.

"Let me tell you, I have a one-year discrepancy, and my coach helped with that. I didn't even know about it. The coach called my home and asked for one more year for me. It was quite an emotional story. I was surprised and asked, 'How?' He said, 'From today, you are one year younger; now you have two more years.' I agreed," Mishra said on Shubhankar Mishra's podcast.

The revelation came to light after a playful exchange between Mishra and Rohit Sharma during an IPL 2024 match between Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants. Sharma had joked about Mishra's age, asking if he was really 41.

"You made your debut when we in our nappies. That's when you made your debut. You made your debut when you were 20?" Sharma had said.

Mishra responded by saying he was 20-21 at the time of his debut. However, when asked about the conversation with Sharma, Mishra revealed that he had also questioned the Indian captain's age.

"I told him, 'I also watched someone play when I was young.' Many people start playing early; it doesn't mean they are now 45 or 50. He laughed and said, 'I'm 37.' I later confirmed and said, 'Are you really 37?' He laughed and didn't say anything," Mishra said.

Mishra's admission has raised concerns about the prevalence of age fraud in cricket. It is unclear whether the spinner's age discrepancy was known to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) or other cricketing authorities.

The revelation has also sparked a debate about the ethics of age fudging in sports. Some argue that it is a form of cheating that gives players an unfair advantage, while others believe it is a harmless practice that allows young players to compete at a higher level.

Tags: #AmitMishra, #AgeFudging, #Cricket, #IPL, #AgeFraud